Aussie 2013: Melbourne Graffiti-lined Lanes

Melbourne's graffiti-lined streets are extremely photogenic, and I imagine that it may be most photographers' definition of heaven. There's just so much to capture - the gorgeous vivid colours, the creative artwork, the fine details, the vibrancy of the the spaces, and the occasional sighting of a graffiti artist at work. Like I said, a feast for the camera.

Hosier Lane, Melbourne 2013

Earl Grey Figs Buns

One thing most people would normally do up at the end of the year (or right at the start of the year) is a list of new year resolutions. I've stopped doing that cos...well, my resolutions always end up being the same, and it just reminds me of a quote I saw somewhere "This year, my new year resolution is to fulfill last year's new year resolutions." So true isn't it?

Anyway, I wasn't actually going to post a recipe today, cos I thought I had forgotten to note down which recipe I used, but thank gosh for my iPhone, I had snapped a photo of the recipe I used (screenshot of my laptop at that moment). So, I guess one thing I should (try to) do in the new year is to procrastinate less - lest my backlog get jammed up too much/ I end up losing recipes.

Earl Grey Figs Buns

Aussie 2013: Melbourne Brother Baba Budan

It's coming to the end of the year already. In another two weeks' time, it'll be yet another new year. It feels like I've not done much in the past year or so, but one thing I'm glad happened was that I got to travel quite a fair bit. Though I'm not heading anywhere again for the remainder of the year, I've already got my next trip booked and I'm very (VERY) excited about it. February, please come faster.

I have just two (one) if you include this post left for my Melbourne travels (I realise that most of my Melbourne posts have been focused on cafe hopping haha). I just upgraded my comp memory space (or RAM or whatever you call that - I'm def no technie and anyway it was my bro-in-law who did the hard work for me heh) and had to re-download the photo editing programs (again, kudos to the bro-in-law) into my comp, thus had been unable to start editing any of my Japan travel photos. What with all the year end activities, cross fingers I'll squeeze in some time for it.
 
Anyway. Just around the corner of Manchester Press is Brother Baba Budan. A quirky lil spot with an unconventional design.

Brother Baba Budan

Aussie 2013: Melbourne Manchester Press

Did a T-25 session during lunch yesterday and my thigh muscles are currently screaming at me in pain. Tried wearing some heels to meet some girlfriends for dinner after work today and oh man, it wasn't a pretty sight. Let's just stick to no heels for a week ya.

Another Melbourne spot. The food and drinks were pretty forgettable, we were cafe-hopping that day, and nothing really jumped out at me, not to say that everything was bad. The cafe was pretty popular, it was one of the few cafes we dined at that had a queue. The staff took names, and scribbled it on a wall at the cafe entrance and call the names when there were avail seats. A wall-written wait list - interesting queuing system.

Manchester Press

Aussie 2013: Melbourne Auction Rooms and Twenty & Six

I love how most of the Aussie cafes have the habit of opening very early in the morning. That means we can start our day early with a good cuppa (Aussie) coffee.

Auction Rooms

Bún Thịt Nướng (Vietnamese Grilled Pork Vermicelli)

I love Vietnamese cuisine for its fresh flavours - loads of fresh herbs and veggies. My first introduction to Vietnamese cuisine was a bowl of Bún Thịt Nướng in a small eatery along the alley near Queen Street, Brisbane with some friends after school. It was love at first bite, and when I was in Vietnam in 2012, I had the chance to explore more Vietnamese dishes, the traditional way.

Bún Thịt Nướng, a grilled pork dish with vermicelli noodles, remains one of my favourite Vietnamese dishes. It's like a bowl of noodle salad, and there's tons of flavours within the dish - the tangy pickled daikon and carrots, the slightly spicy and garlicky dipping sauce, the aromatic scallion oil, the saltiness from the roasted peanuts, the herby fresh mint leaves and not forgetting the star of the show, the marinated pork. Sigh. I'm craving for a bowl for it as I type...

 Bún thịt nướng

Aussie 2013: Melbourne St Ali

My current goal is to finish my Aussie 2013 posts by the end of 2014. I really should increase the frequency of my blogposts just so I can clear most of my backlogs. *cross fingers that I can accomplish my goal*

St Ali, Melbourne 2013

Aussie 2013: Melbourne Chez Dre

Looking through my Melbourne photos makes me want to head back there again soon, cos there were some seriously good eating spots.

Chez Dre, Melbourne 2013

Chocolate Bailey's Cake

You don't really need a reason to make chocolate cake do you? Let's just leave it at that.

 Chocolate Bailey's Cake

Aussie 2013: Melbourne Mart 130

Was on sick leave for the past two days, and I really should be in bed now cos it's back to work tomorrow. Damn but I really do hate being sick.

Following my previous Brighton Beach post, I thought that I could share what we ate earlier that morning before we made our way down to the beach. Melbourne has no shortage of good eats, and we visited a few interesting spots during our vacation. One of them has got to be Mart 130.

 Mart 130

Aussie 2013: Melbourne Brighton Beach

Since I'm not hopping onto a plane anytime soon, I reckon the next best thing would be to post some travel photos to console myself right? Right.

I'd better finish up my Aussie 2013 posts so I can actually start on my 2014 travelogue. It's almost end 2014 and I have 5 trips worth of 2014 travel photos to work on. I might find it tedious to sort through the hundreds of snapshots, but I do enjoy the editing process. Can't wait to start on the Cambodia ones especially...

Anyway, back to the Aussie travelogue, we spent the last leg of the Aussie trip in Melbourne. Mostly brunching cos hello, major coffee culture right there. Seriously missing the unique Aussie brunches and coffee we had there.

I reckon I should start with a non-food post, so here's some shots from where we visited Brighton Beach. There's nothing much to do there honestly, but it's worth a visit, even if just to squee at the colourful bathing boxes and take multiple selfie shots. Ha. (At least I'm honest.)

 Brighton Beach, Melbourne 2013

Wheelers Yard

A pretty photogenic cafe. One where everybody goes just for a shot with the iconic blue doors (which I have yet to snap a shot at though I've been there a coupla times already!).

Wheelers Yard

Berry Vanilla Granola

It's November, again. It should be a happy month for me technically, for it's the birthday month. But somehow, with all the stuff happening around me lately, I'm not sure if there's anything worth a good cheer or so.

Am currently busy with work (rare in the quieter last quarter of the year), and there's this persistent lip rash that has been going on/off for the past few weeks or so (before I went for my Korea trip), and then, there's the health report I just received in the mail...dang. Or should I say - *whoops*.

Oh well, I can only hope that my birthday week fare much better than the first week of November. Tough, cos it's just the coming week. And I'll be pretty busy with an upcoming work event. Ha.

Anyway. Back to the main topic of the post. Granola.

 Berry Vanilla Granola

The Tiny Roasters

There's this really tiny coffee spot that opened in the West recently and the coffee is pretty good over there.

The Tiny Roasters

Rouse

Hi, I'm back from my Seoul 2014 trip for about two weeks already. Am currently experiencing post-vacation withdrawal symptoms. (But then again, I'm perpetually in this state like eighty per cent of the time - the other twenty per cent being when I'm actually on vacation ha!).

Decided to keep up with my sporadic monthly blog posts. So here's a great lil cafe I went a while ago. It's not too hyped up in the cafe scene, but I actually really liked this space.

Rouse

Japanese-styled Matcha Granola

I spotted a delivery man at the office lobby today. This is a normal sight isn't it? A delivery man, during office hours, at a work place. However, he was a lil different from the usual delivery man. I noticed him primarily because of what he was delivering.

Matcha granola

Raspberry Meringue Tart

Another berry bake - raspberry this time round.

Raspberry Meringue Tart

Five-Bananas Banana Blueberry Bread

You might find me updating the blog every other day for the next few days. No reason other than I finally decided to kick (some of the) dust off my idle hands and stop being the master procrastinator I am by editing some of the photos I have on hand. You have no idea how it scared me when I slotted my camera memory card into the laptop recently and found that it had over 2000 new photos. And that's so not including my travels 2014 photos  and various other photos  which I've already transfered onto my laptop. -insert awestruck face- That's like bringing procrastination to a whole new level by itself hey.

Banana Blueberry Bread

Aussie 2013: Brissy

I'll always have a soft spot for Brisbane. After Cairns, we popped by our ol' city for a quick catch up with friends through old favourites and new joints.

 Riverfest 2013, Brisbane

Aussie 2013: Great Barrier Reef

I want to be on vacation again. It's been about two months since my last vacation and I'm experiencing withdrawal symptons. *sheepish look*

I guess I was lucky enough that I traveled almost monthly from January to June earlier this year, thus July and August seems a tad miserable in comparison. Continuing from my travelogue posts, I shall now start on my Aussie 2013 trip.

It was my first visit back to Oz after my graduation in 2009, and I was excited, of course to be back there. I made the trip with my cousin, who also studied in Oz, so it was sort of a nostalgic trip for us both. We took a plane from Singapore to Gold Coast, followed by a domestic flight to Cairns, next to Brisbane, thereafter to Melbourne, before flying home.

I was quite excited to head to Cairns, cos it was my first trip to the Great Barrier Reef. We were going snorkeling! Yes yes, for those who know me well, me, who can't swim (yes, I know. *rolls eyes*) is able to snorkel (and survive to tell the tale).

Pardon the lousy meagre shots today. I didn't bring my DSLR with me on our day trip out to the reef, cos we'll be snorkeling and I didn't want to leave my camera behind on the boat and all, thus whatever you see here, it's taken using my iPhone 4S. I must say, being constantly behind lens, it was kinda refreshing to just be focused on the vacation time and not be concerned with snapping loads of photos for memories' sake. Though I won't have much photos to look back on for remembrance, at least whatever few I have, I can look upon fondly.

Cairns 2013

Fat Cow

There's plenty of pretty good Japanese places in Singapore. One constant thing that popped up on my Instagram feed was THAT particular beef bowl. You know, the one like here:

Fat Cow Donburi

Korean Soy Garlic Fried Chicken

I have tons of photos saved in my computer untouched since...last year ha! So I was opening folders and poking around to see what's interesting when I spied this folder staring at me. I couldn't resist the photos.

After my attempt at making 양념통닭 (Yangnyeom Tongdak) last year, I had actually tried my hand at making it again a few months after the first try, but with soy garlic sauce instead. I got the recipe from a Korean cookbook but was not too pleased with how the sauce turned out, cos it was too salty for my liking. But nevertheless, the photos turned out quite well, so decided to share them here.

Lunch at home: 제육볶음, 양념통닭, 해물파전 , 계란 말이 & 반찬

Brunch: Blueberry Brie Bake

It's been some time since I posted about our homemade family brunches. I have a few backlogs to go, but here's one of the brunches we had three months ago in April (yes, I went back to track the date through Instagram...).

On the table

Seoul 2013: 명동 (Myeongdong)

Final post for my Seoul 2013 trip. Finally. My last post would be on  명동 (Myeongdong). The shopping mecca of Seoul. But aside from all the zillions of cosmetics stores you can possibly imagine, there's also numerous dining options there. Cafes, restaurants, street food. You would be hard pressed NOT to find something to eat there.

I've already previously wrote about Myeongdong in my past trips. But, there's just tons of stuff to eat at Myeongdong, so I guess this post will be sort of to give you more ideas on what else to eat in Myeongdong.

Red Mango Cacao Green, Myeongdong 2013

Classic French Apple Tart

Sometimes, all you need are good ol' classics.

Classic French Apple Tart

"Quarter"-life crisis

It's exactly half way through the year and I've decided to do a short post on self-reflection. Well, better now than never, right. So. Back to the title of the post. You know how people always talk about mid-life crisis? Yeah, so, a term that I've been using these few years (not too sure how or when it started) is the "quarter"-life crisis. If say logically, you have your mid-life crisis around your fifties, so a "quarter"-life crisis would be say, around your twenties?

Cinnamon Rum Raisin Swirl Bread

Been baking loads of breads too for the past few months. Baking bread is like making macarons (well, at least for me). Many people have lamented about having problems with macaron making, and well, I used to feel the same about baking bread. Yeast has sorta a life of its own, there's often some science behind bread baking (not that I've cracked the code or anything), and I get a sense of achievement (weird I know) every single time I pull a loaf outta the oven.

Cinnamon Rum Raisin Swirl Bread

One Man Coffee

First spotted this lovely space through, where else but, Instagram. It looked so gorgeous with all those woodsy brown tables, and the food appeared so drool-worthy that I knew I had to make my way down there pronto.

 One Man Coffee

Seoul 2013: 전광수커피 (Jeon Gwang Su Coffee House)

Finally. I'm nearing the last of my Korea trip 2013 posts (one more to go!). This means I can finally move on to Aussie 2013. Then Japan 2014. Then Hong Kong 2014. Then Cambodia 2014. And not to mention, I just came back from my Bangkok 2014 trip yesterday. Gosh. Haha, it seems like I've been traveling non-stop doesn't it? ;)

전광수커피 (Jeon Gwang Su Coffee House), 2013

Biscoff Oreo Banana Bread

I swear I'm the sort that simply gain weight just by looking at pictures of food. I mean, I look at food all da time (via Instagram, via the Internet, via magazines, via everyday life). Haha. It's a terrifying thought if our weight is based on what we look at.

Biscoff Oreo Banana Bread

Oz Specialty Coffee

Quiet find at Upper Thomson area.

Oz Specialty Coffee

Chikuwa Tei

I can never get sick of Japanese food. Especially when fresh sashimi is in the picture. Remember previously, when I mentioned I found a really yums Japanese restaurant near Spathe Public House? This is it. Chikuwa Tei. Just a few steps away from Spathe.

Chirashi don ちらし丼 

Assembly Coffee

I've come to the realisation that nowadays, I tend to revisit a cafe several times before deciding if I should blog about it. I'm not saying I do that for all the cafes I head to, just that I notice that it has happened for a few cafes I've been visiting so far.

 Assembly Coffee

Cherry Pecan Chia Granola with Earl Grey Poached Apricots

The granola kick continues.

Cherry Pecan Chia Granola

Spathe Public House

I'm such a procrastinator. Every month, I say I'll try to post more, but every month, I end up being lazy/too busy/tired to think of the words to accompany my posts.

Spathe Public House

Seoul 2013: Tous Les Jours

One of my favorite bakeries in Seoul.

Tous Les Jours, Myeongdong

Common Man Coffee Roasters

I prefer brunch spots that have a personality on its own with regards to the menu. I mean, yes the standard big breakfasts are always a norm at most places, but it would be good if they have a dish that's just particular to them, their signature dish with their stamp on it. It's like say, you look at the picture of a brunch table and go, "Hey, I know that! That's from XXX!" rather than go "Hmmm, so where did you had brunch again?"

I'm sure by now, if you're a regular cafe hopper like me, and you see my picture below, you'll definitely recognise the cafe (if the title of the post haven't already clued you in). The distinctive ceramic plates and cups, and the dishes would have helped too.

Common Man Coffee Roasters

Gaest

I've been going on Saturday breakfast dates with my good friend. She's working in the F&B industry, thus her working hours are Mon-Sun, except for a weekday off when the cafe closes. It's hard to meet up with friends now that everyone is having differing schedules, so I think it's good that we both make the point to catch up (and also, to check out new cafes!).

So how early is our breakfast dates though? We normally meet around 7.30am - 8am, so we're constantly looking out for cafes that open that early. One of my favourite breakfast place that we've been to recently is Gæst. So much so that it's jumping the queue of all my other pending posts as I can't wait to share how awesome the food here is.

Gæst

Seoul 2013: 홍대 (Hongdae)

Having declared my love for Hongdae previously here, and for the cutest cafe here, and the best coffee here, I guess it comes to no surprise that I would be posting about Hongdae yet again.

홍대 (Hongdae), 2013

Anthesis Boulangerie, Bistro & Café

Robertson Quay is a hot spot for brunch spots. Anthesis is the latest newcomer to the block, well, sort of anyway since it's like not even a year old.

Anthesis Eggs Three-Ways

Revolution Coffee

The coffee joint that I visited thrice in one single week.

Revolution Coffee

Nassim Hill Bakery & Bistro

I celebrated the first day of 2014 with food. Brunch in fact. Since I love brunch, what best to have on the start of a new year but my favourite meal of the day?

Nassim Hill Bakery & Bistro

Nutty granola

Been having a bit of a granola/bircher muesli addiction lately.

 Nutty almond butter granola

Seoul 2013: 삼청동 (Samcheongdong)

It was my first time visiting Samcheongdong last year even though I've travelled to Seoul quite a few times already. I fell in love with the area with all the charming cafes and confusing alleys. It was the perfect place to visit to experience both the modern and ancient charms of Seoul. Bukchon Hanok Village is actually within walking distance, so I definitely recommend to combine a trip to both places in a day when planning an itinerary. Or if time permits, just spend one full day for Bukchon Hanok Village, and another for Samcheongdong. There's just so much to explore!

삼청동 (Samcheongdong)

Seoul 2013: 커피랩 (Coffee Lab)

One of, if not, the best place for coffee in Seoul.

커피랩, 홍대 2013

Chocolate Peanut Butter Layer Cake

I baked this cake a few months ago for my Sis's big three-0.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Layer Cake

Chocolate Rum Caramel Upside Down Pear Cake

It was a cake not meant to be. Or so I thought.

 Rum Caramel Pears

Seoul 2013: Cafe 커피마시는 고양이 (Cafe Drinking Coffee Cat)

Samcheongdong is a quaint neighbourhood filled to the brim with indie cafes. It is situated near Insadong and Bukchon Hanok Village, so if you're planning a trip to Seoul, it's good to note that you can visit these three spots in a day (if you want to that is) as they are all accessible via the same train station (Anguk Station).

Cafe 커피마시는 고양이 (Cafe Drinking Coffee Cat )

Baechu Kimchi (배추김치)

Hello folks! 2014 is turning out to be a great year so far to sate my wanderlust. I'm just back from a short trip to Hong Kong. It was supposed to be a trip to Bangkok, but what with the ongoing riots and chaotic situation, we decided to forgo our tickets and accommodation. We decided on a whim not to waste the pre-booked vacation leave and go somewhere else instead.

Yeps, like seriously - we booked our tickets to Hong Kong on Monday for a Wednesday 1am flight. Ha! Craziest thing ever. There was an on-going promotion (lucky for us) so we got our tickets pretty cheap, even on a really last minute schedule. Anyway, I'm nursing a slight flu now (what is it with me and falling sick after a trip?!?), and I hope I get better soon cos... I'm flying again soon, to Cambodia, in two weeks' or so time, HA! ;)

Anyway, just thought to update this space with a recipe for once.

It's not a secret that I love Korean food. It's one of my all-time favourite cuisines. Between Japanese and Korean, I can't decide which is my favourite.

Homemade Baechu Kimchi (배추김치)

Department of Caffeine (D.O.C)

There are countless coffee joints opening every month or so. And I mostly tend to get to know them through my social media addiction - Instagram. Within days of Department of Caffeine's opening last year, I visited the place once with my cafe-hopping buddy to check out the uber new kid on the block. The place was still relatively unknown, and so, there were only one or two tables occupied in our time there. Unfortunately, all the photos taken on that day were lost due to some error in formatting when I transferred the images from my memory card to the laptop. Bah. Fret not though, I did manage to visit it twice more.

 Department of Caffeine (D.O.C)

Omakase Burger

There was much talk about Omakase Burger when it first opened in 2012. It took me a whole year, before I managed to try it in late 2013, in December. I remember the exact date in fact, as it was the day of the Standard Chartered Marathon 2013, and I was absolutely starving after the race as I only got to eat my first meal of the day at about two in the afternoon. Yeah. So. As I was saying, I popped by the store, super eager to get my hands on some burger and fries.

Omakase Burger